Lucas looked in his mirror one more time before he ran down the steps. Uncle Nick was helping Nadine with her shoes clearly struggling with the instructions his sister was impatiently giving him. Nadine crossed her arms "Just slide the strap into the buckle. No Uncle Nick you've gotta criss cross the straps first." Lucas sat and watched for one more amused minute before he took over and strapped up her shoes the way he was sure she wanted.

"How'd you do that?" Nick asked frowning at the shoes.

"My ex-girlfriend who I'd been going to this gala with since we were 11. That's how" he strapped up Opal's shoes many a Gala. He remembered his own struggle and even though it wasn't funny at the time if he looked anything like Nick just now then it definitely was.

"Hmph. Well I still think those shoes suck" Nick grumbled as he straightened his tie and his hair.

"They don't suck you're just inept in this area" Nadine whispered the last part to herself.

"Hey! What'd I say about calling me things I can't hear or understand" Nadine smiled wide as they headed to the door.

As usual Terrance was waiting and Lucas gave his friend a hug "Alright man ready?" Terrance gave him a look as Nadine hopped in his car.

"Tonight's the night." Terrance said straightening his sleeves.

"Yea I doubt it. Paulie's going to be there. She only agreed to go with you because she needs a ride and I have to pick up my girlfriend" Terrance sucked on his teeth and cast a look back at Nadine who was leaning on the window seemingly annoyed.

"That hurts man" Lucas laughed.

"SHE told you that when you asked" Terrance shrugged.

"Still hurts. Alright man, see you there" they nodded at each other and each got in their cars and drove off.

•••

At Boelyn Manor, Claire was fixing her hair while Val went through her diaries. Claire wasn't worried this wasn't their first run in in 100 years. Val wasn't going to see anything she hadn't before.

"I still can't believe you've even bothered" Claire rolled her eyes.

"Oh please like I don't know about your secret collection of momentos over the past 100 years. Can't throw stones in a glass house" Val scoffed as she threw Celeste's book.

"Whatever. My signed Slash vinyl record among other treasures is a much better use of my eternal sentence than those poor ass excuses of a memoir you have on that bookshelf" Val said as she moved for the door.

"We can agree you'll behave yourself tonight right?" Val didn't say anything she just smiled and left making Claire sigh. Tonight would be a long night.

"Our boy toys just pulled up. Time to play" Claire rushed downstairs opening the door before Val could to see Lucas and Quentin. Lucas gave Claire a look as Quentin grabbed Val and gave her a disgustingly long kiss.

"I don't know. This is new to me too" Claire said with her hands up in surrender. Val smirked at the couple while Quentin placed kisses up and down her neck.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Val asked pulling away from Quentin finally.

"We do. So do you, apparently you promised Mayor Kentworth something from our family and I'm not leaving without it on you and you out the door. You know she'll harass us both if you don't" Claire said making Val rolled her eyes. She forgot her efforts to keep the Sheriff and Mayor under her thumb. It required her to be uncharacteristically friendly.

"I'll have it." Val said shortly.

"When did you guys get together?" Quentin smirked at Lucas as he straightened up.

"We've been together as long as you have Lucas. What's the matter? Jealous I have the better sister" Claire made a face, she couldn't believe that Val was really wasting her time on Quentin just to use as a walking blood bag.

"Quentin. There's enough of me to go around.... I'm kidding big sis, we both are. Alright let's go. We have a party to get to" Val said sliding by the both of them.

"I'm sorry about Quentin it's this thing we've had-" Claire stopped him.

"It's ok Lucas. I'm not worried about him. Val's a Maneater at heart you might need to worry for him more than me" Claire chose her words carefully. Playfully calling her sister a douche is just enough to get Lucas to tell Quentin to back off. Quentin needed to if he was going to make it out of that "relationship" alive. Lucas would come back to this later for now he was happy to have her on his arm. She was as always gorgeous.

•••

The Gala was bursting with people when they got there. Claire was once again impressed she didn't think this many people lived here. You'd never see all of them at once like this. Now looking around the town didn't seem that small. Even though she knew it was "Do you want a drink?" Lucas whispered his hand gently grazing her side.

"Yes please." She whispered back trying to hide her blush. Which she couldn't.

"I'll be right back. Don't move" he said placing a small kiss to her cheek.

"How sweet." Elsie said ad she walked up to the girl.

"Hey Elsie" Claire said arming herself for whatever Elsie was about to throw her way.

"Hey, you know you're way too pretty to be a rebound. Just saying girl to girl" Claire tried to hide her smile at the attempt.

"What makes you think I'm a rebound?" She asked Elsie.

"Where's he taking you after? To the Grill for cheese fries and milkshakes? That was him and Opal's thing, he took her to this Gala for like the past 6 years. Trust me, I'm saying this as a friend. You know woman to woman. We may not have gotten off to the best start with you stealing my cheer captain status but nothing that a drink can't fix" Elsie said passing her one of the ones on the tray the waiters had.

"Interesting. Thanks for the tip" Elsie smiled proud of her good work.

"Anything for girl power" she said walking away from Claire.

•••

While Claire tried to figure out how she was going to last at this party Lucas was at the drinks table trying to tell the difference between the liquor and the regular drinks.

"Liquors on the right. You've been here forever you should know that" Opal said passing him one.

"I do actually. I was looking for the nonalcoholic ones" Opal nodded and looked down.

"Right. For your new girlfriend" Opal whispered as he put down the other drink to grab what seemed like juice.

"Yes, is that OK?" He wasn't asking because he needed her ok. Lucas wanted to make sure Opal wasn't giving Elsie ideas.

"I- yea. I mean why wouldn't it?" Opal laughed nervously.

"We've been friends since we were kids. You can at least be honest" he said crossing his arms and putting down the drink.

"Fine. You want honesty. Yes I do have a problem with it. We're barely broken up for 3 months and it's like I don't even exist anymore. My brother was in the hospital with a gaping hole in his neck and you don't even call" she said looking away, Lucas hated when she did that. Opal always had a way of being right, even when she wasn't supposed to be.

"I've been a little distracted lately. I won't lie. I'm sorry I didn't check up on you. But I thought this is what you wanted. You said that our relationship wasn't going anywhere and broke up with me Opal. Not the other way around. I wasn't looking for anything else. You pushed me out" Lucas said. He didn't want to throw it at her like that. But that's how it happened. She can't blame him for moving on. That's what she asked for.

"I may have said that then. But what about now? You haven't even given me any space to change my mind. Even if I wanted you back and I may... would it even matter at this point?" It wasn't really a question but it was. Lucas could tell she intended for it to come off rhetorical but he could see the hope in her eyes. See her fishing for an answer from his expression. Thing is, if she'd asked him this... 2 months ago. He might've said yes. Now... he knows her. Claire has taken up so much space in his brain he can't even explain himself. One thing that he's definitely learned from being with Opal and now Claire. He's only ever felt like he was in a movie once and it wasn't with Opal.

"No. I'm sorry" Opal tried to hide her hurt. What did Claire have that could make years disappear to nothing for him? Years spent laughing, hugging, kissing, crying. All gone thanks to her. How? Opal couldn't really be mad at her. She practically handed Lucas over. But that didn't mean that Opal wasn't still hurt about it. She nodded slowly and then backed out of the room with no other words spoken. What else could she say? Anything else was just beating a dead horse. Lucas knew how she felt, and he said no. Nothing else to say after that.

Lucas looked over to see Claire standing there looking between him and Opal. Lucas froze, what did she hear? Hopefully the end. He'd be in deep shit if she didn't. Claire didn't look mad, so at least there was that "How much did you hear?" he asked worriedly.

"You're allowed to talk to her. Even about before. If I were to act as if you never had a life before me that would be pretty delusional wouldn't it" Lucas sighed and he walked over to his girlfriend. Now that he was sure he was safe.

"Right. Opal, I guess regrets the way things ended. I told her it's too late. I met a girl and she's everything" Claire smiled wide and slid her arms up his shoulders.

"That's too bad. I feel for her" Claire said making Lucas laugh.

"Yea you sound real broken up about it" Celeste laughed and the two walked away unaware of Val watching them from the corner.

•••

"You remember what I told you?" Val asked Quentin who nodded sparing a glance at Lucas.

"I don't get why it matters. Fuck Lucas and his airhead of a girlfriend. Let's just get out of here. This party's boring" he whispered as he attempted to kiss her. Val growled and spun them so his back was against the wall.

"No touching. Not until you do what I ask. Then we can have all the fun you want" Quentin smirked.

"Fine. Only if you promise to bite" he said grabbing the woman's neck and forcing a kiss.

Val bit down on his lip and the man winced but kissed her anyways before he pulled away. She raised an eyebrow at him as she watched him walk off to do as asked. Quentin was a means to an end in Val's mind. Nothing about him compared to Julius. That's who she wanted. Val couldn't imagine seriously being into Quentin. She didn't even have to compel him to stay with her. Once she explained what she and Celeste were he only begged to stay with her. Desperate to one up Lucas. Pity. That's the only thing she felt for a person that wrapped up in trying to make themselves relevant to people who would forget their names in 20 years. If that. Human life was feeble that way. The thought made Val want to vomit a bit and she walked off to watch her handy work come to fruition.

•••

An older woman who'd recognized Claire walked over and tapped her shoulder.

"Claire Boelyn? I can't believe it's you. What's it been? 50... no 55 years? You- you haven't aged a day! I need whatever they're selling you" the older woman said as Claire slightly panicked on the inside. She knew the woman of course but Lucas was staring at her and she didn't want to but she feigned confusion. The older woman sensed this and before she could ask her granddaughter came over.

"Grandma!! I'm sorry yall. The other day she said she used to run track with Emilia Clarke. We'll be going now grandma" the older woman frowned but obliged frustrated with her mind. Claire felt bad for using her illness against her, or rather allowing her granddaughter to. Lucas shrugged it off but Claire wouldn't forget. From here she could only imagine it getting harder. What was the point of what they were doing? What if they stayed together through high school, college, at what point would Lucas start to question why she never aged? Clarie couldn't keep this a secret forever. Yet as more and more time passed the less secure she felt about coming clean. He'd hate her for lying to him for so long. For making him a target and putting the town at risk.

•••

"Perfect" Val said as she sipped her drink. Sheriff Lan walked over crossing his arms and looking in the same direction as the woman.

"Watching your sister closely I see" Val smiled and turned to him.

"If I don't who will?" She asked as she took another sip.

"So our search was clean. The attacks regardless of how they seem are in fact just that of a mountain lion. They found it this morning running around in the middle of town" Val knew. She had to cover her mess up if she was going to put her plans into motion. The council digging around in her stuff would be a problem that she couldn't afford. As long as she had the ear of the Mayor and Sheriff she was confident that she'd had no problem bending the feeble town to her will.

"I'm glad. I'm not sure I'd be ready for a return of vampires. My family kept me in the loop once I turned 18 but I still feel like there's so much I don't know" Sheriff Lan nodded.

"If it were up to me I wouldn't have you involved at all. You're still a kid. A good kid not too much older than mine but, the Mayor thinks it's a good idea to keep someone spry in the know." Val forced a laugh.

"Yea, can't say I disagree. Outside of the deputies you trust you don't really have too many people who could stand up in a fight against a vampire" Sheriff Lan frowned and chuckled.

"I may be old but I'm not that old" they laughed some more and Val turned her attention back to her sister. Val could see Claire slowly spinning out and Val knew that the next phase of her plan would cement that emotion. Val always kept her promises.